Lawrie's rehab progressing slowly but surely

Lawrie's rehab progressing slowly but surely

Lawrie began hitting off a tee earlier this week, and the first few days have gone well for the 21-year-old, the Blue Jays' top prospect.

"He's been swinging the bat with dry swings, and he's hitting off a tee," Toronto skipper John Farrell said. "He's in the early phases of a hitting progression that will then take on soft toss, live BP, ultimately getting back to regular BP live, almost simulating game action."

Farrell said that Lawrie previously experienced a setback, but this week has been strictly by the book.

"When he started to initiate baseball activity, he was feeling some soreness in his hand, so we backed off," Farrell said. "Just shutting down to let this subside completely, which it has."

The team originally reported that Lawrie wouldn't be able to play in games till early-to-mid August, but at this time, his return date depends on how he responds to his training regimen.